


The Cruel and Heartless World

by skyyequake (EliotWinchester)



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Lincoln mention, Post-Finale, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-02
Updated: 2016-06-03
Packaged: 2018-07-11 19:33:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7067194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EliotWinchester/pseuds/skyyequake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A few weeks after Lincoln sacrificed himself Daisy discovers something that threatens to turn her world upside down. She wrestles with her choices and wonders if she can do this without Lincoln by her side. In the end will she be strong enough to protect those she loves most?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Two.

**Author's Note:**

> “It's not our job to toughen our children up to face a cruel and heartless world. It's our job to raise children who will make the world a little less cruel and heartless.” - L.R. Knost

Daisy was washing her hands as the flush of the toilet dissipated into a tense silence. It was bizarre, she thought, that a toilet trip could be so nerve-wracking. Her hands shook as she rinsed of the soap, in fact her entire body shook and at the back of her mind she wondered how she was still standing. Breathing was tricky as she tried to slow her wobbly gasps of air, and she held her head in her hands trying to force herself to calm down. It didn’t work. Her stomach was doing somersaults and she honestly wondered if she was going to throw up. After a few more shaky breaths she lowered her hands and peered at the little plastic stick lying flat on the shelf.

Two blue lines.

Two.

Then her legs did give out under her and she sank to the floor. She sat there for a while, somehow her mind was going at a million miles an hour but she couldn’t make out any of her thoughts. It was as though she had fallen out of reality. Dazed, she looked down at her hands which were still trembling; there was nothing in her head except a vague disbelief. It had only been a few weeks since Lincoln had sacrificed himself and it had been a few weeks before that since they had…

So how was she just finding out now? Finally, tears started falling down Daisy’s cheeks. What if she had found out sooner? Would he still have gone? Could she have given him something worth living for? Now the tears were falling fast and freely and she let the sobs wrack her body. Falling to the side she lay down on the bathroom floor, her arms wrapped around her stomach and _cried._ She cried for Lincoln, she cried for Trip, she cried for her mother, and her father, for Andrew, for Raina and all the Inhumans lost in the fighting. She cried for Mike Peterson, and Ace, and Donald Gill, and Rosalind. She even cried for Ward, for a young Ward manipulated by Hydra into the monster he became. She cried for everyone they had lost along the way and finally, her mind revolved back to those two little lines and she cried her last tears for the little life she was bringing into this mess.

She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t bring a child into this. Her fingers traced her stomach as she considered her options. She didn’t have to have it, she could find an abortion clinic somewhere far away and no one would have to know. It would be like it had never happened. For some reason she felt a little sick, a selfish part of her felt like it was the only thing she had left of Lincoln, another part of her ached a little as she thought of all the times she’d held a small baby for a mother struggling to fold a stroller up to get on a bus, and desperately wanted one of her own. But it wasn’t the right time. Was it? Maybe not, but the thought of a tiny baby looking up at her with Lincoln’s blue eyes was enough for her to put that idea on the back-burner for now.

Another option was adoption. Instinctively Daisy recoiled at the idea of her baby being placed in the system, but she forced herself to be rational. She would never allow any child of hers to be put in foster care, but maybe if she found a nice family before it was born. Maybe she could pass it over to someone she knew would love it and care for it, who desperately wanted a baby and would spoil it rotten and give it a better life that she ever could.

Daisy’s eyes stung as her eyes tried to cry but her tears were all dried out. The idea that she wasn’t good enough hurt her more than she would have imagined. The fact that after all she had been through she wouldn’t be able to look after her own child, to protect it and stop it from feeling how she had felt, during her childhood, during her change…

Daisy paused in horror. It would be an Inhuman. With her and Lincoln as parents there was almost no way it couldn’t be. Daisy put her head in her hands again, forcing herself to not start crying again. Crying wouldn’t help; she had to be responsible now. She took a few long, deep breaths before standing up. She straitened her clothes and cleaned herself up in the mirror, knowing that people would see she’d been crying didn’t worry her; they would assume it was about Lincoln. One last breath left her lungs and she opened the bathroom door and went out to face the world.

 

 


	2. Ada

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daisy struggles keeping her pregnancy a secret, and realizes she needs help. Also includes a flashback to when she was Skye and a possible ally she once knew.

It had been a week since Daisy had discovered she was pregnant when the morning sickness hit. Only the movies had lied: it wasn’t in the morning, it wall _all the time._ She felt constantly queasy and even looking at food made her want to run to the bathroom and heave. A few times a day she would have to pretend to be overcome with emotion about Lincoln or Hive, or _something,_ so she could make a frantic dash to the nearest bathroom and throw her guts up into the toilet bowl. It was worse in the mornings, or any time she had an empty stomach, as nothing came up but stomach acid. Her eyes would water and an awful choking sensation would overcome her as she gagged and heaved but nothing came up. Often she would sit by the toilet and cry afterwards. _Why? Why is this happening to me?_ Each time the thought entered her head she would think of the Planned Parenthood website she had pulled up, but each time she went to send an email to them she would close the browser at the last minute.

Luckily S.H.I.E.L.D. was pretty much on standby now. General Talbot was in and out of meetings every day, discussing what should be done. The others in the team were in constant discussions about whether they would shut them down, or who they would place at the top, or if they would split them all up into different teams and departments. Daisy knew she should be at the forefront of these debates, representing the Inhumans and their rights, but she no longer had the energy or motivation to spend her time in circular negotiations and politics. Luckily Elena seemed to have stepped up as the loudest voice in the Inhumans’ corner and Daisy felt better knowing they were in good hands. It let her slowly slip into the background around base.

Mack had been declared acting director by Coulson, who had stepped down immediately. He wasn’t directing much though, mostly just making sure supplies were in order and sitting in the office working out the game plan with Talbot. Daisy didn’t see him much anymore; she missed him but was also relieved that she didn’t have to lie under his knowing gaze. She hadn’t told anyone on the team that she was pregnant. Without really knowing why, her instincts had kept her mouth closed on the subject, but she knew that Mack would have immediately sensed something was wrong if he had been around more. Of course, the others had noticed a change in her but they assumed it was because of all the things that had happened to her. Maybe they were right, it had had an effect on her, how could it not? But somehow worrying about the secret in her belly had kept her mind off of everything else. Everything except Lincoln.

“Daisy, are you ok?”

Daisy looked up realising she had been deep in thought, sitting on a ledge in one of the many corridors on the base. It was Simmons, with a worried expression on her face. It made her look so innocent and Daisy smiled sadly, knowing that now she was anything but.

“Yeah, Jemma, I’m alright.”

“Are you sure? I know you’ve been through a lot, but it’s been two months now and I’m starting to think that maybe you have something else on your mind?” she spoke carefully as she sat down next to her, with the gentle tact that only Jemma was capable of, it made you want to open up to her, but Daisy just couldn’t bring herself to make this real.

“I’m fine, it’s just… I haven’t been sleeping well lately.”

That much was true at least.

“Oh, well, I can see if I can get you some sleeping tablets, which might help…”

“No!” Daisy said too quickly, sitting bolt upright as all the advice she had read online about what not to do flashed before her eyes.

Jemma frowned.

“Why not? What are you not telling us?”

“I just… I’ll be fine, thanks for the offer but…” Daisy trailed off, her attempt to cover herself in tatters, she jumped to her feet. “I have to go.”

With that she hurried off down the corridor, vaguely hearing Jemma’s confusion behind her.

“But where would you have to go? No one’s doing anything?”

Daisy finally made it back to her room and closed the door with a sigh. Her stomach felt a little queasy but on the whole she was beginning to feel better. She was only throwing up once a day now and as strange as it was it was almost a relief. She vaguely remembered she had read somewhere that the sickness usually went away after the first trimester, and she suddenly started to panic. What was it Jemma had said? It had been two months since Lincoln’s death? That meant that she was almost three months along! Minus a week or so of course but she realised that she hadn’t seen a doctor yet. Her heart began to beat faster; going to a doctor would definitely make it real. Her hand absentmindedly went to her stomach as it did so often these days, and she told herself that she couldn’t run from this. Breathing deeply, she realised that she had to be responsible now, more responsible than she’d ever had to be before. But where should she go? What should she say? Daisy suddenly felt more alone than she had felt for a long time and she felt a lump in her throat as she tried to force herself to focus. Then it came to her. She knew someone she could talk to: Ada.

 

***

 

Skye was sitting in her room, crossed legged on the bed. The linen was cheap and she could almost feel the bed frame through the mattress as she looked around at her sparse bedroom. Her bag sat in the corner by a rickety wooden desk and chair that didn’t quote match in color. She’d never sat in that chair, mostly because she thought that it might collapse at any given moment. She had been here for a month now but she hadn’t unpacked, certain that these people would be giving her back soon. The hideously patterned curtains barely kept out any light they were so thin, but Skye kept finding herself picking out where each different flowered image repeated itself in the fabric.

She knew it was nearly lunchtime as her tatty black watch told her it was a few minutes to midday, so sitting on the bed doing nothing she waited to be called down by the shrill voice of her new foster… person. She refused to use the word mom to describe any of her carers any more, it had led to too much heartbreak and besides, she hated them all.

She checked her watch again and frowned when it showed five past. These people were sticklers for routine; lunch was always at precisely noon. That’s when she began to hear raised voices from downstairs. Slowly she made her way to the door, cursing her curiosity for undoubtedly getting her into trouble. As she cracked her door open, wincing at the soft creak it made, the voices got clearer and Skye realised that they were at the bottom of the stairs.

“DISGUSTING! YOU HAVE BROUGHT SHAME TO YOURSELF AND TO EVERYONE IN THIS HOUSE JENNIFER!” Skye could visualise the spittle flying from her foster witch’s mouth as her dulcet tones rocketed up the stairs.

“My name isn’t Jennifer! It’s Ada!” a slightly quieter but no less angry response followed and Skye’s heart sank. She liked the quiet girl from the room next door, with her dirty blonde hair and soft green eyes she had shown Skye more kindness than she had experienced in a long time. What had she gone and done?

“WHAT BECAUSE YOUR MOTHER GAVE IT TO YOU? SHE WAS A WHORE AND SHE COULDN’T LOOK AFTER YOU! SHE WAS A PATHETIC SLUT JUST LIKE YOU TURNED OUT!”

Skye’s fists clenched as she heard Ada begin to sob. Then she heard footsteps on the stairway and quickly shut her door, putting her ear to the keyhole so she could still hear what was happening.

The footsteps came to the top and stopped outside Ada’s door, which was directly in front of the stairs. Skye heard the door open and it sounded as though Ada was physically tossed into the room.

“You stay in there and think about what you’ve done,” the words were a simple scolding but the tone of her voice had an eerie chill to it. Skye shuddered in fear and anger.

The jangle of keys could be heard clearly and the horribly final clunk of the lock sounded through the old house. Skye could hear Ada still crying through the wall. The witch’s voice suddenly echoed through the corridors, speaking for everyone to hear.

“Lunch is cancelled! You have Jennifer here to thank for that! You can all go hungry till dinner!”

And with that she made off down the stairs again.

There was a brief pause before the groaning from the other kids started.

“Ada what did you _do?_ ”

“Come on now I got to wait till dinner to eat I’m _starving!_ ”

“Why couldn’t you think about the rest of us? You know what she’s like!”

Skye could still hear Ada sobbing, and her gut told her this was something serious. She didn’t know quite how she knew, but something about that whole altercation said to her that this was more than just a broken plate.

“Shut up guys,” she said loud enough to be heard, but it did nothing.

“I SAID SHUT UP,” this time her voice was full of fury and everyone fell silent, even Ada. Skye didn’t know why they had all stopped; usually they didn’t shut up for anyone unless it was the person feeding them.

Skye paused for a second to make sure her outburst hadn’t attracted anyone from downstairs. Once she was sure she cracked open her door and tiptoed down the corridor to Ada’s room.

“ _Ada,_ ” she whispered as loud as she dared.

“It’s no good Skye, she locked the door,” Ada sounded defeated.

Skye scowled, she hated that this woman could do this to them, she hated that no one cared enough to stop her. Barely contemplating what she was doing, she reached up to the back of her head and pulled out two bobby pins that she only wore for this express purpose. Within a minute the lock clicked and she gently opened the door, making as little noise as humanly possible.

“Skye! What are you doing? She’ll kill us!” Ada looked frantic, her eyes were puffy and her dirty blonde hair was sticking up in all directions.

“Only if she finds out, and I’m not planning on that happening,” Skye said defiantly as she closed the door behind her with a soft thud.

“You shouldn’t be here Skye,” Ada said with a groan as she sank down onto her bed, it looked just as uncomfortable and bare as Skye’s. Ada looked as defeated as she had sounded, as though the world was on her shoulders and she couldn’t fight anymore.

“What’s going on Ada?” Skye said with as much tenderness as she could muster.

Ada sighed deeply.

“I might as well tell you, it probably won’t stay a secret for much longer. Unless they really are that ashamed of me.” Ada gave a humorless laugh. “I’m pregnant.”

Skye stared at her in shock.

“But…”

“But I’m only fifteen? But I’m throwing my life away? But I’m stupid, stupid, stupid…” Ada seemed to be speaking to herself at the end.

“But we’re never allowed out! How in the hell did you find a way out long enough to do the do, and more to the point, how did you not tell me?!”

Ada managed a smile at that.

“You don’t think I’m disgusting?” she asked in a small voice.

“Of course not! Stuff happens. What are you going to do about it?” Skye was sincere in what she said, she held no judgement. All she felt was pangs of sympathy.

“I don’t know,” Ada groaned and held her head in her hands.

“Are you going to keep it?”

She looked at Skye from between her fingers and gave the smallest of nods, looking as though she was bracing herself for a lecture about how she should get rid of it, or give it away.

Skye wouldn’t be that person.

“Well you can’t have it in this hell hole.”

“W-what do you mean?” Ada looked partly hopeful but mostly terrified.

Skye held the girls head in her own hands and looked into her brilliant green eyes.

“I’m going to get you out of here.”

“Skye…”

“No arguments, you want this baby and I’m going to get you somewhere safe for you both.” Skye’s determination came through in her voice and she held Ada’s gaze steadily.

Suddenly Ada leant forward and kissed her. Skye was surprised, but her heart leapt. It wasn’t a long kiss and when they broke apart Ada looked almost as shocked Skye felt.

“I-I’m sorry,” Ada muttered, “I don’t know what came over me.”

Skye tilted Ada’s head up by a finger under the chin and kissed the tip of her nose.

“There’s nothing to apologize for,” Skye gestured pointedly to Ada’s tummy, “ _Nothing._ ”

Ada looked as though she was about to cry again. The bed creaked as Skye stood up to leave.

“I’ll come back soon, and we’ll sort everything out,” Skye told her firmly, thinking about the laptop hidden away in the depths of her bag. She hadn’t touched it in months, but finally she had a reason again. Finally she had a cause.

She clicked the door shut and relocked it, and as she made her way back to her room she heard footsteps up the stairs.

“Mary-Sue, what are you doing?” came a stern, shrill voice from behind her.

Skye turned around, her heart filled with rage; she faced a skinny woman with a hooked nose and beady eyes. Her brown hair was scraped back into a tight bun away from her pasty skin; she had the appearance of a particularly ugly hawk. Skye fought down the bile that formed in her throat at the sight of the woman and smiled sweetly.

“I was just going to the toilet.”

“I didn’t hear a flush?” she scolded as though she was speaking to a five year-old.

Skye bit the side of her cheek as she kept up the smile, walked back down the hallway to the bathroom and flushed the empty toilet before the witch could check for herself.

“See, that wasn’t so hard now was it?” the woman’s smile was cold and never reached her eyes.

Skye returned it.

She walked back to her room.

“I hope you washed your hands Mary-Sue!” The woman called before heading back downstairs.

Skye fought the urge to punch something.

 _One day,_ she thought to herself, _one day no one will call me Mary-Sue ever again._

*** 

 

It was another three weeks that Ada was locked in her room with food pushed through the door twice a day, before Skye had broken her out. She had made contacts within a group that called themselves The Rising Tide, and organized transportation to a refuge in the next state over. There they had to say goodbye, and after Skye had made sure that Ada would have access to the right medical treatment, she had reluctantly left. She’d hugged Ada tightly beforehand, smelling her hair and kissing the top of her head. Ada had only shed a few tears, fighting to hold them back. She watched Skye leaving with her Rising Tide friends until they had disappeared round a corner.

Skye had never seen Ada since that day, but she made sure she never forgot her full name: Adelaide Cosgrove.


End file.
